2-(FLUORINE-18)-FLUORO-2-DEOXY-D-GLUCOSE PET IN DETECTION OF PANCREATIC-CANCER - VALUE OF QUANTITATIVE IMAGE INTERPRETATION

PURPOSE: To evaluate use of positron emission tomography (PET) versus computed tomography (CT) in detection of pancreatic cancer and determi ne the value of quantitative and visual image interpretation of these techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Within 8 weeks before surgery, 73 p atients with suspected pancreatic cancer or chronic pancreatitis under went imaging with CT and with static PET after injection of 250-350 MB q of 2-(fluorine-18)-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG). Focal FDG uptake, considered a sign of malignancy, was calculated with standardized upt ake values (SUVs) 60 minutes after injection. RESULTS: With FDG PET, p ancreatic carcinoma was correctly diagnosed in 41 (95%) of 43 patients , and chronic pancreatitis in 27 (90%) of 30 patients. With an SUV cut off value of 1.53, both sensitivity and specificity for detection of m alignancy were 93%. With CT, pancreatic cancer was correctly diagnosed in 33 (80%) of 41 patients, whereas results in seven (26%) of 27 pati ents with chronic pancreatitis were false-positive (specificity, 74%). CONCLUSION: FDG PET enabled reliable differentiation of pancreatic ad enocarcinoma from chronic pancreatitis. The sensitivity and specificit y of visual image interpretation with FDG PET was statistically signif icantly higher (P < .05) than with CT.